Building a new business Empire
A LUXURY serviced office and business members’ club – with meeting facilities available to hire – is being hailed as the first project of its kind in West Yorkshire.
The scheme is set to open in early summer 2020, following £450,000worth of investment and six months of renovation work.
Empire House is a Victorian, 6,000 sq ft building, dating back to 1892, in Slaithwaite.
Originally a town hall – complete with underground air-raid shelter – the property has undergone many uses in its 128-year history, most recently as an office space for fashion exhibition organisers, Moda ITE.
Now, it is being renovated as a luxury workspace, offering 13 offices, ranging in size from one-person to 10-people occupancies, alongside a business members’ club, which welcomes individuals and businesses on an application-only basis.
Members will have access to ‘The House’ – 600 sq ft of professionally interior-designed break-out space, ideal for entertaining or presenting to clients.
Businesswoman Amy Byram, who is spearheading the development, said: “After years of working with some of Yorkshire’s most successful businesses, it is clear that in this modern era, the buying experience plays a pivotal role in the success or failure in securing new business and maintaining key relationships.
“The look, the brand, the space and facilities; Empire House is a scheme which, to our knowledge, is unique in the region.
“It’s something that you may see in Manchester or Leeds, and we are bringing it to Slaithwaite; one of the most thriving villages of Huddersfield, right on the doorstep of the train station.
“It will attract high-performing, discerning business people, who are looking for far more than a standard office space.
“It’s an environment for people with great expectations, and we are setting the bar high. We are investing in the most advanced wifi available, plush furnishings, a wine and coffee bar, professional interior design.
“We hope these special touches will amount to a thriving atmosphere that people are proud to be associated with.”
Planning permission has been submitted to add 150 sq ft of additional space in the form of an oakframed, glass orangery, which will be used by members and tenants as extra break-out space.
Amy added: “We will preserve the building’s very recognisable, grand architecture whilst modernising the interior in-line with modern, dynamic business.
“Some of the region’s most impressive organisations have stated their desire to operate from Empire House as a base; some full-time and some as a member, giving access to the business club lounge and meeting rooms, whilst also including postal address and incoming call handling support.”
Huddersfield house builder SB Homes has already been announced as an anchor tenant, taking up more than 1,000 sq ft of space.
COMMUNITY-MINDED butcher is organising a day trip to Bridlington this summer for families who can’t afford to get away.
Dave Jones, who runs D Jones Quality Butchers in Earlsheaton, Dewsbury, put out the idea on social media and was inundated with support.
He set up crowdfunding page with a £1,000 target and has now reached almost £3,000.
Dave came up with the idea of hiring a coach and putting up packed lunches for a day trip to the seaside.
He said: “I just came up with the idea and I thought I’ll ask the
Twitter and Facebook community and see what kind of response I get.
“I thought I was going to only get families responding saying they wanted to go.
“Instead I had a mixture of families responding and a lot of others saying they really wanted to help out. It was incredible!”
This isn’t the first time Dave has offered to help struggling families. Last October half-term he unwittingly set up his own food bank and at Christmas he gave meat, fruit and vegetable hampers to 30 families.
A benefactor has now come forward offering to pay for the coach and a Subway branch in Stairfoot has offered to donate sandwiches. Others have offered snacks and buckets and spades for the kids.
Dave now has over 12,000 followers on Twitter and is a bit of a social media star.
Dave has two coaches booked for early June and may book a third.
“It would be amazing to get this started and make it an annual trip for the kids,” he said. “My vision was to help out a few families who might not get to the coast this year.
“I never imagined it would get this big!”
■■To donate to Dave Jones’s Bridlington Day Out, the GoFundMe page is at gofundme.com/f/ bridlington-day-trip or Dave can be contacted on 01924 465902.